Potato-digger.



S. L. ALLEN.

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21,1912.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

S. L. ALLEN. POTATQ BIGGER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21, 1912.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 APH c0., WASHINGTON D C smarts PATENT carton SAMUEL, L. ALLEN, or MOORESTOWN, JERSEY.

Tomaso-means.

V Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

Application 'filed February 21, 1912.. Serial No. mares.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL L. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Moorestown, in the county of Burlington and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in P0- tato-Diggers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in that class "ofagricultural implements known as potato diggers adapted to V the work of turning a furrow-slice and manipulating and disintegrating the earth thereof in such a manner as to separate the potatoes from it and leave them lying ex- "Posed to'view on the surface 0if the grqund and ready for gathering.

The primary .ob'ect of my invention is to provide a system of supplementary plowshares so arranged as toaccomplish the result hereinbefore mentioned.

:further portion-fro1n.the furrow-slice, and :the third, still lower thanand to the rear of its My present invention contemplates the employment of a skeleton Vv shaped mold beard and'a plurality of flat shares arranged the rear thereof, so that the upper one is foremost, and engages the furrow-slice as it leaves the mold-board, cutting off a section of the furrow-slice from its upper edge, a second supplementary share situated at once below and to the rear of the first cuts a the second, finishes the work by slicing, turning and throwing upward the re- ,mainder ofthe furrow-slice." .I-have substituted a perpendicular portion of moldboard for the long outwardly and rearwardly extending mold-board heretofore employed in former constructions, and have substituted for the round ,or nearly round tines commonly used the flat supplementary plow-shares just referred to. provided a horn like extension on the land side 'of the plow for the purpose of removing those potatoes which are located on the land side and which heretofore have frequently been lost. 1

It will be observedthat the action of the present digger and the construction of the same are fundamentally different from that type of diggers wherein the potatoes arev separated from the earth by the sifting action of a plurality of tines.

I For. the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying I have also give the 'nost satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization as herein 'set forth, the invention being equally applicable to diggers of the double mold-board type. Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a potato digger, embodying the main features of my present invention; Fig. 2 a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 an end elevation; Fig. 4: a detail of the supporting plate and the supplementary adjustable plow-shares attached thereto; Fig. 5 a top View of the supplementary plow-shares on the standard of the plow and the principal mold-board and share, a'ndFi'g. 6 the same.

Similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts of the figures.

Referring to the drawings in the particular embodiment of my invention therein shown: 1 is the colter or vine turner ath tched to the beam 13; 2 is the plow-share; 3 is the mold-board constructed with a large indentation in the shape of V]; 14 and 1-5 are bolts which secure the standard 12 to the beam 13; 16 is the handle frame; iis a small supplementary plow-share with a flat surface rigidly attached atone end by means of bolts to. the supporting plate 10, said plate being detachable and adjustable with respect to the standard 12. The said supplementary plow-share 4; rakes backwardly, outwardly and upwardly at an acute angle with the forkeplate and with the horizontal. When the potato digger is inaction a portion of the earth is cut and divided by the lower edge of the aforesaid plow-share, and the edge being rounded cuts and divides and disintegrates the earth without cutting or otherwise injuring the potatoes which are incased in the earth of the furrow-slice. The earth then works along and over the said supplementaryplow-share, and drops behind the digger. The said supplementary plow-share 4, on account of its relatively broad flat surface, tends to produce and does produce two results, t e first, it cuts, dirvidesand disintegrates the earth of the "furrow-slice, and secondly, it pushes the pot-atoes up through the disintegrated earth to the-surface. These results thus mentioned a rear horizontal view 'of are due to the fact that the earth is so composed that it can'be made to separate and disintegrate by the operation described above, and so works back into the furrow, while on the other hand, the potatoes being bodies of a substance harder than the earth are struck by the flat surface of thead .vancing supplementary plow-share in such a way as to be separated from the earth,

pushed upward, and so deposited on thesurem.

face behind the digger; -5 is a second supplementary plow-share with afiat surface, but slightly longer than 4,ma'king a wider out, and arranged so as to make a slightly smaller angle with the fork-plate, and a slightly. smaller angle with i V the horizontal, than that made by 4, but like and without pitch to the point 8.

4, 5 is flat with rounded edges, and rakes backwardly, outwardly and upwardly. The base of 5 is in a position at once below and in the rear of the base of 4, and is attached to the supporting plate 10, hereinbefore mentioned.

'6 "is a third supplementary plow-share with a flat surface, longer than either 4 or 5, in order to cut wide at the wider part of the furrow. One end of the said supple- 'mentary plow-share 6 is attached to the fork-plate immediately beneath the base of 5, and extends preferably without ralnng this point to its outer extremity the said plow-share is pitched, and from the sald point to the outer extremity also rakes backwardly, outwardly and upwardly making an angle with the supporting plate 10 slightly smaller than that made with the supporting plate by 5, and making an angle with the horizontal slightly smaller than that made with the horizontal by 5.

Fig. 4 shows in detached detail the supplementary plowshares 4, 5 and 6, and the plate 10, and the method of attachment and adjustment of the said plate with respect tothe standard 12. The plate 10 to which areattaehed the supplementary plow-shares '4, 5 and 6, is pivoted to the standardlQ by a nut and abolt 9 as shown in Fig. 1. r 11 is an arched slot in plate 10 through which is passed a bolt. The said bolt also 'against the standard, the plate and the attached plow-shares are held rigidly in a given posltion.

From

the earth of the furrow-slice, and so sepf 7 arates the potatoes from the earth surround 'ing them, as hereinbefore described, The

supplementary plow-share 4 is so placed as to cut off the highest part of the furrow-slice turned. and experiment it has been foundthat the second plow-share is located in a position As a matter'of'practic'e i high enough" to separate and disintegrate the center of the top of the average fur row-slice, while the plowshare 4 se'parates only the upper portion of the furrow slice.

The plow share 5 is arranged so as to cutv and disintegrate the middle portionof the furrow-slicer The plow-share 6 is designed to cut 'and disintegrate the remainder and lowest portion of the furrow-slice...

7 is an auxiliary longflat bladedesigned to push up and "throw out the potatoes in the earth of the furrow-slices which drop from the supplementary plow-shares l, 5

and 6, any or all? of them, orearth which may have passed over or between thelsaidsupplementary plow sharesl For the purpose of femovmg the. occasional potatoes which may be foun d upon the land side of the plow there is provided o a horn like extension 18 preferably integral with the main plow-share'2, and'having its outer margin 19 curved with, respect to the land side of the plow, firstoutwardly, then upwardly and inwardly and terminating near the top of theinold-boardas clearly shownin the drawings. The inner marg n 20 of the horn like extension '18is lo'oated parallel to and a slight distance from the land side of the plow so as to leave a space through which a portion of the earth may pass, orwhieh in anyevent' will serve to more thoroughly manipulate the earth which is taken up and acted upon byfth'e extension 18. The working surface efthe extension 18 is preferably a continuation of the working surface of the main plow-share 2 and the mold-board 3'. It should. also'be notedthat the outer margin of the extension 18 starts from a point some distance above the lower surface of the main plow share 2 so that a wall of earth is left for the land side to bear against.

It will be seen that there is thus'provided ing potatoes from the soil which is-cle'arly ranged and disposed as to effectively manipulate and disintegrate the earth and push the potatoes therefrom, as contra-distinguished from the sifting action of the po- -tato dlgger having narrow tines or forks arranged in the rear of the main plow-share and mold-board. It will also be seen that ithe horn like extension will take up a portion of the earth on the land'side of the plow and turn the same into the furrow slice, a part of which, however, may fall through the space between the inner margin of the extension and the land side of the plow, and the potatoes which may thus be located on the land side ofthe plow will be effectively removed and thrown to the surface. 1

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a digger a combination with a plow of means of breaking up and disintegrating the earth turned up by the plow, said means consisting of a plurality of supplementary plow-shares adjustably attached to the standard of the plow, and extending laterally from one side, and a projection having a free extension from the other side.

2. The combination with a plow of a mold-board a plow-share, adapted to cut a vertical wall and provided with means to gouge said vertical wall and direct the earth into the path of the 1nold-board and supplementary plow-shares adjustably attached to the standard of the plow.

3. The combination with a plow of a V shaped mold-board having its oppositely directed arms substantially of uniform width throughout their extent and supplementary plow-shares adjustably attached to the standard of the plow.

4(- The combination with a plow of a mold-board having difierently directed arms of substantially uniform width and broad supplementary plowshares arranged in p bsition in the rear of the said mold-board, said supplementary plow-shares being pitched and raking outwardly, upwardly and rearwardly from the standard of the plow, and substantially filling the space between the path of the arms of said mold-board and said supplementary plow-shares being adjustably attached to the'standard of the plow.

5. The combination with a plow of a V shaped mold-board and supplementary plow-shares arranged'in a position in the rear of the said V shaped'mold-board, said supplementary plow-shares being pitched and raking outwardly, upwardly and rearwardly from the standard of the plow, and

mold-board and supplementary plow-shares attached to an adjustable plate, said plate being oscillatably adjustable about a fixed axis and limited in its oscillatory movement.

7. The combination with a plow of supplementary plow-shares attached to an adjustable plate with a V shaped mold-board provided with a perpendicular arm, said plate being mounted to oscillate about a fixed pivot and having a slot remote therefrom for rotary adjustment.

8. The combination with a plow and its point and share of a plurality of supplemental shares, fixed at the rear of the main share, the first beingthe highest, the second lower than and to the rear of the first, and the third lower than and to the rear of the second, and a plate for carrying said supplemental shares in rotatively adjustable relation to the main share.

9. The combination with a plow and its point and share of a plurality of shares, fixed at the rear of the main share, and means projecting from the land side of said plow for lifting objects over the said main share. j

10. The combination with a plow of supplementary plow-shares in a position to the rear of the principal mold-board and principal plow-share, said supplementaryplowshares being flat, pitched and raking backwardly, outwardly and upwardly, and a horn-like projection extending from the plow opposite to said supplementary plowshare, operative to direct objects in the earth over the face of said mold-board.

11. The combination with a plow of a V shaped mold-board, the upper portion of the said mold-board being below the highest point of the standard of the plow, and the upper portion being comparatively short and narrow, and the lower portion being also comparatively short and narrow, and having a V shaped indentation being comparatively large, and a plurality of supplementary plow-shares.

12. The combination with a plow of supplementary plow-shares in a position to the rear of the mold-board and principal plowshare, said supplementary plow-shares being fiat, pitched and raking backwardly, outwardly and upwardly and being provided with dull edges, and being adjustably attached to the standard of the plow, and being both independently and collectively adjustable relative to said principal share.

13. The combination with a plow of a V shaped moldboard, the upper portion of the said mold-board being below the highest point of the standard of the plow, and the upper portion being comparatively short and narrow, and the lower portion being also comparatively short and narrow, and a plurality of supplementary plow-shares, said supplementary plow-shares being adjustably attached to the standard of the plow.

1 L. The combination. with a plow of a colter like projection on the share thereof, having a spirally curved projection extending from the landside of the share in spaced relation to the vertical plane thereof.

15. The combination with a plow Of a colter like extension on the share thereof having a curved outer margin commencing at a point a short distance above the base of the plow and extending first outwardly, then upwardly and inwardly and terminating near the top of the mold-board.

16. The combination with a plow of a colter like extension on the share thereof having a curved outer margin commencing stantially "parallel to and a short distance from the front end of the mold-board'of the plow,and having its working surface substantially a continuation of the working 17. In a plow the combination of a plowshare, a mold-board having a Vshaped indentation in the rear, and a colter like projectionon the share, ext-ending substantially parallel'with said mold-board, butspaced therefrom,

18. In a plow share, a mold-board, having a V shaped indentation in the rear, a colter like extension on the share projecting therefrom,

' YSAMUEL L. ALLEN.

\Vitnesses: j

J (J. ELDRI'DGE, WV. N. BARNES.

' Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. V

the combination of a plow v30 surface of the plow-share and mold-board. 

